Container closure with a retractable turnspout

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to a closure for a container such as a bottle having mouth, the closure including a closure plug fit into the mouth, a plug with a turnspout and a shield disposed on the plug. A cap is fitted on the plug and has a lateral opening through which the turnspout can pass in an operational position. When the turnspout is in a closed position, the shield closes the lateral opening.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a closure of plastics material on a container(particularly a bottle) which serves to receive and deliver liquids orpastes. The closure of this container has a retractable turnspout.

Such a closure is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,847,313. The turnspoutmentioned therein is rotatable about an eccentric bush. The tube of theturnspout can be moved outwardly or inwardly by way of a pivotalmovement. In the one extreme position it disappears completely within anactuating cap. This is the closed position. In the other extremeposition it projects to a maximum extent out of a lateral opening in thecap. This is the use position in which liquid can be delivered (pouredor squirted) through the turnspout.

A valve in the liquid passage to the turnspout is so actuated that it isopen in the use position and closed in the closed position. In the knownclosure an additional movement of the turnspout is necessary, namelyparallel to the closure axis, to actuate the valve so that a plug, whichis attached within the tube on the upper wall, can engage in a bush andclose it and vice versa. A helical ramp on the plug base and guidecurves extending inwardly from the cap base are necessary for thisadditional upward and downward movement of the turnspout. A relativelylarge number of components are thus necessary for the actuation of theturnspout in two directions which results in complicated injectionmolded components.

In addition to the inevitable friction due to the rotary movement of thecap and tube when actuating the turnspout, friction in the axialdirection (tube against bush) and friction on the helical ramp alsooccur so that the closure can only be actuated with the application ofconsiderable force and cannot be actuated at all by frail people.

The height matching of the components which is necessary for thepressing in and turning is difficult due to the great number of theheight tolerances which occur. In this connection there are fourcomponents to be taken account of, namely the cap, tube, plug and mouth.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,371,827 discloses another container closure with aturnspout in which the turnspout needs only to be displaced in thedirection of rotation. In one embodiment thereof (FIGS. 9 to 11) thefree outer end of the turnspout may also be shut off, in fact by theactuating cap itself. In the closed position, not only the outer end ofthe tube but also its inner end are closed off. The tube itself isangled and its lower limb in the use position passes through the base ofthe closure plug and is pivotable in this base. A projection attached tothe inner surface of the cap base serves to move the tube when the capis rotated.

This has the following disadvantages:

The bent tube can be manufactured integrally of plastics material, onlywith the aid of a complicated mold, in an injection molding process.

When the closure plug is pressed in and the cap screwed on the cap wallis deformed and thus unsuitable for sealing the outer end of the tube.

The cap impedes the pivotal movement of the tube even at positions whereno sealing is necessary, namely during the major portion of the pivotalmovement.

A feed pipe for liquid cannot be fitted.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is to provide a container closure with aretractable turnspout of the type referred to in the above in which thediverse disadvantages mentioned above are avoided.

The result is substantially simpler injection molded components foractuating the turnspout by comparison with U.S. Pat. No. 3,847,313 sincethe turnspout need only be moved by the cap in the pivotal directionwhilst components for raising and pressing down the turnspout aresuperfluous. Consequently, substantially less friction arises whenactuating the closure in accordance with the invention.

By comparison with U.S. Pat. No. 3,371,827 the shield in accordance withthe invention attached to the plug offers the advantage principally thatthe free end of the tube is sealed perfectly in the closed positionwhilst in accordance with this prior publication it only engages the capwithout being sealed. A further advantage resides in that the fitbetween the outer end of the tube and the shield is not changed when thecontainer is closed, that is to say a perfect sealing function ismaintained.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention the shield, which servesto close the lateral opening in the cap and to seal the outer end of thetube may be additionally used to limit the rotation of the cap in atleast one direction of rotation.

In-the opening direction this purpose can be served by one edge of theshield together with a projection on the interior of the cap wall.

A tamper indicator may be provided which this may be so constructed thatthe cap and tongue which may be broken away which are necessary for thispurpose may be manufactured in a simply constructed injection moldingtool.

In accordance with a further aspect of the invention the plug can bepositioned in the direction of rotation when inserted into the mouth ofthe container. e.g. can be alined with respect to a bottle label.

In accordance with a further aspect of the invention in the closureposition, the cap can be locked with respect to a rib provided at theoutside of the container mouth.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Exemplary embodiments with further features of the invention will bedescribed below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a closure with a retractable turnspoutin accordance with the invention mounted on a container.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view on an enlarged scale of the container and thecomponents of the closure.

FIG. 3 is an axial section through the plug of the closure shown in themiddle of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the plug.

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of the plug with the turnspout on a reducedscale by comparison with FIGS. 3 and 4.

FIG. 6 is a view from below of the cap illustrated in FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is an axial sectional view of the cap on the plane VII--VII inFIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a partial axial section through the cap on the planeVIII--VIII in FIG. 6.

FIG. 9 is a longitudinal section through the container mouth, plug, capand the turnspout which has been completely pivoted out and thus showsthe use position.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view on the plane X--X in FIG. 9, that is to sayviewed from above towards the plug base; the parts also being in the useposition.

FIGS. 11 to 14 are views similar to FIG. 10 and show the relativepositions of the components in differing rotary positions of the cap andthe turnspout.

FIG. 15 is a longitudinal sectional view of a modified embodiment of aturnspout.

FIG. 16 is a plan view of this turnspout.

FIG. 17 is a partial sectional view on the plane XVII in FIG. 15.

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the bush providedon the plug.

FIGS. 19 and 20 are a perspective view and a partial longitudinalsectional view through the cap, respectively, of a tamper-proof closure.

FIGS. 21 and 22 are similar views of another version of a tamper-proofclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Terms such as "above" and "below" refer to the position of the parts ina vertically standing mouth of an upright container. Terms such as"axial" refer to the axes of the mouth and of the plug.

All components of the container closure are manufactured from plasticsmaterial.

FIGS. 1 to 4 show a closure 1 with a turnspout in accordance with theinvention. Rotatably, secured to a container 4 is a cap 2 with cap base2a and a cap wall 2b in which there is a lateral opening 3. Thecontainer is preferably elastically flexible.

FIGS. 3 and 4 and the middle of FIG. 2 show a plug 5 with plug base 5aand a plug wall 5b extending upwardly therefrom for insertion of theplug into the container mouth 10. The plug is integrally injectionmolded with a bush 6 of relatively hard plastics material. The bush issituated substantially eccentrically and extends parallel to the plugaxis. The lower end of the bush 6 is surrounded by an annular groove 5c.On its upwardly directed side the bush has a longitudinal slot 7 whichis parallel to the axis and which merges into a liquid passage 6a in theinterior of the bush. The upper end of the bush can also be closed, asis shown on a bush 6' in FIG. 18.

FIG. 2 also shows the turnspout which is designated in its entirety as 9and which has a cap-like turret 9b, on which there is a radial tube 9awhose liquid passage 9c is in communication with the interior of theturret. After assembly, the turret sits on the bush 6, as shown in FIG.9. It fits in a rotatable and sealing manner over the bush. When thetube 9a is pivoted fully outwardly, its liquid passage 9c is incommunication through the longitudinal slot 7 with the liquid passage 6ain the bush 6. The longitudinal slot has the effect of a tap; when thetube 9a is pivoted inwardly (FIGS. 11 to 14) this connection is brokenand when the tube is completely pivoted out (FIG. 10) it is open.

On the plug base there is a shield 8 which is constructed as apart-cylindrical wall integral with the plug and is concentric with theplug axis 5d (FIG. 9). It serves to close the lateral opening 3 in thecap in the closed position, as shown in FIG. 14. The shield also hasother functions it has an inwardly directed abutment rib 8a which isparallel to the axis and which in the closed position serves as anabutment for the outer end of the tube (FIG. 14). The shield also servesin this position to seal the outer end of the tube 9a.

The edge of the plug base 5a rests on a lip 11 at the top of thecontainer mouth 10. A bush 13 projects downwardly from the plug base 5a.A feed tube can, if required, be pushed onto it for the liquid which isto be delivered.

FIG. 6 shows the cap 2 from below on an enlarged scale. One can see thelateral opening 3 in the cap wall 2b. Lower snap lugs 17 serve to retainthe cap 2 on the container mouth 10. They engage below a snap ring 16 onthe container mouth and fix the cap against rotation on the containerand secure against axial movements. Upper snap lugs 18 serve to fix theplug 5 with the turnspout 9 in position within the cap 2. After itsengagement the plug sits rotationally fixed in the container mouth andthus does not move when the cap 2 rotates. By virtue of the wall 26 aprecise height assembly of the plug 5 with the turnspout 9 in the cap 2is rendered possible. The wall 26 transmits the axial force which isnecessary for the engagement of the plug in the container mouth 10, fromthe cap 2 to the plug 5.

A flat abutment web 25 (FIGS. 6 and 8) which extends along a radialplane and projects from the cap base limits the rotary movement of thecap 2 in the use position by abutment against the shield 8 and thus thepivotal movement of the turnspout when its tube 9a is completelyextended (FIG. 10). In this position the tube extends approximately inthe direction of a radial plane. Fastened to the cap base is an inwardlydirected cylindrical wall 26 which is however not completely closed buthas an opening which is somewhat offset with respect to the lateralopening 3 in the cap and is defined by two edges, the "engaging edges"39 and 40. The wall 26 serves to move the tube 9a in the one or theother direction of rotation and thus to pivot the tube outwardly intothe use position (FIG. 10) and to pivot it inwardly into the closedposition (FIG. 14), so long as the rotary movement is not limited byabutments.

Provided on the inner side of the cap wall 2b is a flat positioning web24 (FIG. 8) which, when the plug 5 is inserted, serves together with thecap to position the plug in the direction of rotation, namely byabutment against a rib 23 on the container mouth 10 (FIG. 2). In thismanner the plug can be aligned, e.g. with a bottle label or the like.The cap can be locked in the closed position with respect to the rib 23on the opening by a short locking web 27 (FIG. 6) provided in the cap.

FIGS. 10 to 14 show in section on the plane X--X in FIG. 9 the positionof the parts in differing pivotal positions. FIG. 10 shows the useposition with the tube 9a completely pivoted out corresponding to FIG. 9in which the container contents can be delivered. On rotation of the cap2 in the clockwise sense out of the position of FIG. 10 into that ofFIG. 12, the edge 35 of the lateral opening 3 in the cap moves the tube9a with it in the clockwise sense. Thereafter the tube is moved into theclosed position of FIG. 14 by an edge of the cylindrical wall 26, the"second engaging edge" 40, namely when it has been completely withdrawninwardly out of the lateral opening 3 in the cap and as a result can nolonger be moved by the edge 35 of the opening 3. In the closed positionof FIG. 14 the outer end 9a of the tube is sealed with respect to theinner wall of the shield 8. The abutment rib 8a of the shield limits themovement of the tube and thus also the rotation of the cap 2 withrespect to the container mouth.

When the tube is pivoted in from the position of FIG. 10 in theclockwise sense its liquid passage 9c is firstly shut off with respectto the longitudinal slot 7 in the bush 6. The inner end of the tube 9ais thus sealed. Only later, when in the position of FIG. 14, is itsouter end also shut off by the shield 8.

The "first engaging edge" 39 of the cylindrical wall 26 serves to movethe tube 9a in the opposite direction out of the position of FIG. 14into that of FIG. 10. When the cap is pivoted in the anti-clockwisesense the engaging edge 39 engages the side wall of the tube 9a, pivotsthe tube firstly out of its sealing position with respect to the shield8 and then further in the anti-clockwise sense so that after a certainpivotal movement it comes out of the lateral opening 3 in the cap 2 andfinally moves into the position of FIG. 10 in which it projects by themaximum distance and again defines a continuous liquid passage, as shownin FIG. 9. The rotation of the cap 2 in the anti-clockwise sense islimited by abutment of the abutment web 25 on the cap with the one edgeof the shield 8, as shown in FIG. 10.

In an embodiment shown in FIGS. 15 to 17, there is providedconcentrically in the interior of the turret 9b for the purpose ofadditional sealing in the closed position a hollow cylinder 42 whichafter assembly sealingly engages in the liquid passage 6a of the bush.In its lower portion the hollow cylinder 42 has a longitudinal slot 44which forms a liquid passage whose breadth corresponds to that of thelongitudinal slot 7 in the bush 6 (FIG. 4). In the use position of FIG.10 the longitudinal slot 44 permits an unimpeded liquid flow between theliquid passages 6a and 9c.

In the positions of FIGS. 12 to 14, the wall of the hollow cylinder 42blocks this liquid flow and thus serves additionally to seal the innerend of the tube 9a.

As shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, to provide a tamper-proof closure thelateral opening 3 of the cap can be closed by an integrally moldedtongue 46 which can be broken away. It is connected to the edges 3a ofthe opening 3 by means of web-like predetermined breaking points 48. pFIGS. 21 and 22 show another embodiment of a tamper-proof closure. Theillustrated tongue 50 which may be torn away extends parallel to theaxis of the cap 2 and is broader than the opening 3. It is connected tothe cap wall 2b by means of predetermined breaking points 52. Thisembodiment has the advantage that the cap and tongue which may be tornaway can be demolded without an additional movement of the injectionmold.

I claim:
 1. Container closure of plastics material for mounting on acontainer having a container mouth and a longitudinal axis,comprising;a) a closure plug (5) rotationally fixedly inserted in thecontainer mouth and having a plug base, b) an upwardly extending bush(6) which is eccentrically arranged on the plug base and having aninternal passage passing through through the plug base, d) a turret (9b)which sealingly engages over the bush and is rotatable around an axis ofrotation and which together with a tube (9a) projecting from said turrettransverse to said axis of rotation forms a turnspout, d) a continuousliquid passage in the turret and tube, e) a sealing means between thebush (6) and turret (9b), f) a cap (2) which lockingly engages over theclosure plug and the container mouth along said longitudinal axis, isrotatable with respect to the closure plug and has a lateral opening (3)through which the tube (9a) passages in an operational position and oneedge (35) of which cap serves to move the tube out of the operationalposition, said cap having a cap base, and a cap axis g) a shield (8)upstanding from the plug base (5a) for closing the lateral opening whenthe turnspout (9) is pivoted toward a closed position, h) a wall (26)which is on the cap base (2a), projects towards the plug base (5a) andextends concentrically to cap axis and having a first engaging edge (39)which peripherally limits said wall with said first engaging edgepivoting the tube (9a) out into its operational position,wherein: i) alongitudinal slot (7) is provided in the bush (6) which longitudinalslot together with an inward end of the liquid passage (9c) forms a tap,j) the shield (8) is partially cylindrical, has on its inner wall aprojection (8a) for abutment by the free end of the tube and serves tolimit the inward pivotal movement of the tube and the shield seals thefree end of the tube (9a) when it has been pivoted to said closedposition, k) the wall (26) projecting from the cap has towards the plugbase has the shape, with the exception of an interruption, of a closedcylindrical wall whose outer diameter is somewhat smaller than the innerdiameter of the shield (8), l) a first engaging side (39) is provided onthe wall (26), and m) a second engaging (40) is provided on the wall(26) for pivoting the tube in towards the end of the inward pivotalmovement until it is behind the shield in a predefined storage position.2. Container closure as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sealing meanscomprises a hollow cylinder (42) mounted on a base of the turret (9b)which hollow cylinder fits concentrically and in a liquid-tight mannerinto said internal passage and has a longitudinal slot (44) which isdirected towards the tube (9a).
 3. Container closure as claimed in claim1, characterised in that the interruption is situated between the twoengaging edges (39,40) and approximately opposite the lateral opening(3) in the cap wall (2b).
 4. Container closure as claimed in claim 1,wherein the shield (8) cap (2) includes cooperating means to limit therotation of the cap, when a use position is reached.
 5. Containerclosure as claimed in claim 4, wherein said cooperating means comprisesa projection (25) arranged in the interior of the cap wall (2b) and oneedge of the shield (8) which abut one another to terminate the rotationof the cap after the tube (9a) has been pivoted out.
 6. Containerclosure as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the lateral opening(3) in the cap (2) is closed before use to provide a tamper indicator bya frangible integrally molded tongue (46,50).
 7. Container closure asclaimed in claim 6, characterised in that the tongue extends parallel tothe cap axis.
 8. Container closure as claimed in claim 1, furthercomprising:a) a positioning web (24) parallel to the axis provided onthe inner surface of the cap wall (2,b), b) a rib (23) parallel to theaxis provided on the outer surface of the container mouth (10), c) thepositioning web aligning the closure plug (5) to a defined peripheralposition when it is inserted in the container mouth.
 9. Containerclosure as claimed in claim 8, characterised in that provided on theinner surface of the cap wall (2b) there is a locking web (27) whichsnaps over the upper end of the rib (23) on the container mouth when thecap reaches the closed position.